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Summer Tortellini Salad with Arugula has the perfect balance of cheese + pasta + veggies. Obviously you can make this recipe anytime of year. However, I think it is particularly perfect for summer days at the park, on the boat or at the beach.

Why is this tortellini pasta salad perfect for hot, summer days? Because…

  • It can be made in under 20 minutes. This means less time is spent inside in the kitchen!
  • This recipe does not contain any mayonnaise, therefore no worries about food spoiling on a hot day!
  • The salad stores easily and actually tastes better a couple hours after it is made. Simply pop it into some Tupperware and throw it in a cooler with an ice pack!

Ingredients

Ingredients needed for the vinaigrette that gets tossed into the tortellini, cheese and veggies:

Photo shows the ingredients needed for the tortellini salad vinaigrette. Ingredients are all labeled and in bowls. The images shows the rice vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and the lemon juice.

Remaining ingredients needed:

Image of tortellini salad ingredients. Ingredients include fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, tortellini, red onion, cherry tomatoes and arugula. All ingredients are displayed in either original packaging or in bowls.

Recipe Directions

This is a quick and easy salad recipe with only a few short steps!

Step 1: Cook tortellini according to package instructions. One of the (many) reasons I love using tortellini is because it only takes about 4 minutes to cook once your water is boiling! Take note that I use the family size package of tortellini for this recipe which is 20 ounces. After the tortellini has finished cooking, drain the pasta water and set the cooked tortellini aside.

Step 2: While the tortellini is cooking, mix together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk together until fully combined.

Vinaigrette ingredients whisked together in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Step 3: Chop up the remaining ingredients. Finely dice the fresh parsley. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Dice the red onion.

Step 4: Add the tortellini, parsley, cherry tomatoes, red onion, arugula and the parmesan cheese to a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the tortellini, veggie and cheese mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. You can enjoy this salad immediately or let it chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

All ingredients for the Summer Tortellini Salad mixed together in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Print
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Photo of the Summer Tortellini Salad with Arugula displayed in a large mixing bowl. Mixing bowl is light brown and is a hand-made pottery piece with a spout and a handle. The top right corner shows a few ingredients. It shows a cut red onion, lemon, parsley and parmesan cheese.

Summer Tortellini Salad with Arugula

★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews
  • Author: Katie
  • Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Total Time: *
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This quick and easy Summer Tortellini Salad with Arugula is the perfect, cold salad for a hot summer day! This mayonnaise free, vegetarian pasta salad is packed with veggies and lots of cheesy goodness!

Ingredients

Scale

Vinaigrette

  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Remaining Salad Ingredients

  • 20 ounces tortellini (family sized package)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes – cut in half
  • 1/4 cup red onion – diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley – diced
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded
  • Arugula – 1 large handful

Instructions

  1. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. Drain the cooked tortellini from the pasta water and set the tortellini aside.
  2. While the tortellini is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients (olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano & garlic powder) to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. Add the remaining salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl (cooked tortellini, cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese & arugula) and toss to combine.
  4. Pour the vinaigrette over the tortellini, parmesan cheese and veggies and stir all ingredients together until well combined.
  5. You can either consume immediately or let chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Enjoy!

Notes

  • This is a vegetarian salad! If you would like to add some animal-based protein, I recommend cubed salami.
  • You can store this salad in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • If arugula is too bitter for you, use spinach instead.
  • Category: side dish
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: summer tortellini salad, tortellini salad

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a vegetarian recipe?

Yes! It’s definitely not vegan or gluten free, but it is vegetarian. If you don’t care about making this recipe vegetarian and would like to add some animal-based protein, I recommend cubed salami.

How long does tortellini salad last?

You can store the tortellini salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

What to serve with tortellini salad?

I would serve this salad with grilled chicken, shrimp skewers, or steak! I think it would pair really well with my recipe for Grilled Butter Garlic Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash!

What could I substitute in this salad?

If you do not like arugula, I would try spinach instead. If you do not have shredded parmesan cheese, you could use grated parmesan. You could substitute white onion for the red onion if that is all you have on hand.

Try out some of my other salad recipes!

  • Mediterranean Style Chicken Salad – Shredded chicken is mixed with classic Mediterranean ingredients like Kalamata olives and feta cheese. This simple recipe only has 7 ingredients. Four of the ingredients come straight from a jar! 
  • Pretzel Crusted Buffalo Chicken Tender Salad – Pretzel Crusted Buffalo Chicken Tender Salad combines fresh, crisp raw vegetables with savory, pan-fried chicken tenders that are coated in spicy buffalo sauce.
  • Asparagus Salad with Fried Goat Cheese – Crisp salad greens are topped with sautéed asparagus, roasted onions & garlic and crispy, panko-coated fried goat cheese!
  • Caesar Salad with Crunchy Cornbread Croutons – Crunchy cornbread croutons are a creative way to jazz up a traditional Caesar salad! Fluffy, golden, slightly sweet cornbread served over savory Caesar salad is the perfect contrast between sweet and savory. In addition to the cornbread croutons, crisp romaine lettuce is coated in creamy made-from-scratch Caesar dressing. 

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review below!

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